Failing a subject

Information on what happens if you've failed a subject and what next steps you should take.

About failing a subject

Failing a subject can be disheartening but it is a good opportunity to review whether you’re studying subjects that engage and motivate you, whether you need to improve your study techniques or whether you need to adjust your study load. It is important to reflect on why you failed a subject and come up with some strategies to improve your performance for the following semester.

For student visa holders who fail a subject, this may mean you are no longer able to complete your course by your visa end date. You will need to plan how to catch up in case your visa cannot be renewed.

If you have failed a subject, the credit points won’t count towards your degree, but it may affect your WAM. You will need to repeat the subject, in the case of a core or compulsory subject; or ‘replace’ the subject with a different subject.

How to know if you've failed a subject

You will only know if you have failed a subject once you see the final grade for a subject recorded in my.unimelb.

How it can affect your academic progress

The impact of failed subjects on your studies depends on how important the subject is in the progression of your course (ie whether it is a core, prerequisite, elective or breadth subject). Depending on what type of subject it is, you may decide to change direction in your course or change your major.

A failed subject may also extend the duration of your course, but it is often possible to catch up and graduate on time by enrolling in Summer and Winter Term and/or intensive subjects or overloading in future semesters.